Yamaha R-N800A review

If you were to see Yamaha’s R-N800A on a hi-fi rack it would be easy to assume that it was simply another one of the company’s slightly retro-looking but ever-so-classy stereo amplifiers.

At first glance, there isn’t anything to suggest otherwise. Power it up, and the small but crisp display hidden in the black band along the base of the front panel reveals there is more.

Features & build

The R-N800A is a just-add-speakers streaming system, or a streaming amplifier, if you prefer. It packs a UPnP streaming module that works with Yamaha’s long-running MusicCast app and does pretty much what you would expect from such a product.

It will play music from a NAS unit and includes the expected streaming services (Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Deeze and Qobuz). Bluetooth (4.2), Apple AirPlay 2 and Roon compatibility are also on the menu. However, Chromecast is a notable absentee.

Elsewhere there is a moving magnet phono stage, a DAB/FM radio tuner and a 6.3mm headphone output.

Connectivity is good with three analogue line level inputs and the usual trio of digital options (USB type B, two coaxial and two optical). While the USB will accept signals up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256, as is usual, the coax and optical inputs top out at 192kHz PCM, with DSD not on the menu. Take a look inside the Yamaha and you will find ESS Sabre’s well-regarded ES9080Q DAC chip at the heart of the R-N800A’s digital circuitry.

This unit is pretty powerful too, producing a claimed 100 watts per channel in an 8-ohm load. We tried a range of speakers from the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 and KEF’s LS50 Meta to the Epos ES-14N and managed to get decent volume levels from all of them in our 3 x 7 x 5m test room.

General build quality is as good as we’ve come to expect from the brand. The R-N800A’s casework is generally solid by class standards and the various front panel controls and switches work with pleasing precision. Our only complaint is that the speaker terminals flex a bit too much when we plug our cables in.

We are pleased to note that the tone controls work subtly enough to prove useful. They (and the balance control) are bypassed when we press the Pure Direct button, and we notice a slight improvement in the R-N800A’s clarity and definition when we do so.

Ease of use

We load Yamaha’s MusicCast app onto our iPad and are up and running in minutes. While the R-N800A has wi-fi, we prefer to hardwire it into our network for the greater stability the physical connection invariably provides. The R-N800A is quick to recognise our Naim and Melo NAS units, and we have no issue logging onto our usual Tidal account. Getting started is a pretty slick and fuss-free experience.

Note though, that the MusicCast software doesn’t allow scrolling on songs played from our NAS units. This is an odd omission considering that it does allow this functionality when we listen to streaming services such as Tidal.

The company makes a bit of a song and dance about the inclusion of its in-house YPAO (Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer) system. We are familiar with this speaker set-up system from the company’s home cinema amplifiers and so are keen to find out if it works as well here.

It turns out that the implementation in the R-N800A differs in some quite fundamental ways from that used in the home cinema products. The most important difference is that there is not a target frequency curve that each speaker’s output is adjusted to match. Instead, this version of YPAO aims to match the speakers to each other, with the lower output at any particular frequency being the target.

Doing things this way maximises dynamic headroom and reduces the generation of any unwanted artefacts. We played around with the system quite a lot and found that it offers a slightly clearer and more precise presentation, though at the expense of a little finesse and fluidity. In our test room, our preference is to have YPAO turned off, but we can envisage situations where it will prove useful.

Sound

With that sorted, we start our testing in earnest with music from our NAS units. This ranges from grand classical pieces such as Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake to something grittier like Kendrick Lamar’s How To Pimp A Butterfly. The Yamaha copes well. It switches between high-resolution PCM files to DSD without issue. Overall the R-N800A produces a decently balanced presentation that marries good scale and punch with a tonal balance that never errs too far.

In absolute terms, the bass could be considered a little rich, but that just serves to give the sound an attractive, easy-going quality. Initially, we find the treble a touch spiky, but over a few days of use, it becomes smoother without losing much in the way of bite.

There is a good degree of punch and detail here. This isn’t the kind of product that can dissect a complex piece of music and reveal subtle insights, but what it will do is communicate the drama and beauty of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece well. Dynamics are generally expressive, though don’t quite have the free rein necessary for the music to have maximum impact. Stereo imaging is nicely expansive and precise, while rhythmic drive is best described as steady rather than energetic. It all adds up to a likeable and easy-going listening experience, but one that doesn’t manage to thrill as much as we hoped.

This Yamaha could do with a bit more composure too. When the music becomes complex, it struggles to keep a firm grip on all the various instrumental strands and loses a degree of organisation. The results never quite become messy, but there are certainly signs of strain.

Bluetooth pairing is quick and painless. This would never be our connection of choice if outright performance were paramount, but it is undeniably useful, especially as the Yamaha does such a decent job with it. Detail levels are reasonable and the R-N800A’s appealing character isn’t diluted significantly with this input.

We’re less forgiving of the built-in moving magnet phono stage. Plugging in Rega’s Planar 3/ND3 turntable combination we find the sound flat and uninspiring. Tonally, things are fine, but the phono input is rather too compressed and lacking in finesse for our liking. The digital inputs are a clear step up, though the sound is thinner and edgier than that heard through the analogue line stages.

Switching to Tidal improves our mood. The streaming section is a good one and once again we can enjoy the R-N800A’s more refined and appealing side. There is plenty of insight and a decent sense of drive, even if rhythmic precision isn’t quite up to the standards of the Award-winning Technics SA-C600 at this price level.

Verdict

Overall, the Yamaha R-N800A streaming amplifier puts in a solid performance. There are certainly areas where it can improve, but on the whole, it is a pleasant proposition. If you are looking for an unassuming but decently capable performer, this unit certainly should be considered.

First reviewed: November 2024

SCORE

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 4

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